Over the past decade, wireless operators have focused on enhancing and upgrading their networks to cope with the ever-increasing volume of data traffic. But in terms of voice services, there is almost no innovation.
However, this phenomenon is undergoing a dramatic shift. In the United States, TIer-1 mobile operators including T-Mobile US, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobile have launched VoLTE services, and the development of VoLTE services has become increasingly prominent, and more and more VoLTE mobile terminals are available to consumers. . In addition, the momentum of WiFi voice is getting more and more fierce.
In the long-form report "FierceWireless" called "WiFi Voice, VoLTE and Next Generation Mobile Voice Service" (written by multiple authors, so various opinions), we will discuss in detail the latest WiFi calls, VoLTE and more. More other content.
Wi-Fi voice call era begins
Wi-Fi voice services may not be a strong contender to replace traditional cellular voice services, but it is gaining momentum.
Companies that have recently joined Wi-Fi voice services include cable operator Cablevision, which is offering a dedicated "Freewheel" Wi-Fi voice call service, which Cablevision's OpTImum Online customers enjoy for just $9.95 a month. Non-Cablevision customers will need $29.95/month. Initially, this service was only available on the Motorola Moto G phone.
In addition to Cablevision's bold move, many experts say that even with more and more Wi-Fi hotspots installed in homes and public places, Wi-Fi voice can never replace traditional mobile voice services. However, this technology is considered as a good way to compensate for the lack of coverage of cellular networks, and it is also a way for operators to divert unlicensed spectrum, enabling them to manage networks and spectrum more efficiently. assets.
"One of my predictions for 2015 is that Wi-Fi voice services will become a mainstream thing, and all mobile operators will start or start pushing this service," said John Finegold, vice president of marketing at Scratch Wireless. The company has also launched a business around Wi-Fi voice.
T-Mobile embraces WiFi calls
In fact, T-Mobile USA has used WiFi voice calls as a business difference point. Last September, the company announced that it would upgrade users to new WiFi-enabled smartphones (if they don't already have one). In addition, the carrier also offers a free dedicated "Cellspot" WiFi router ($25 deposit) for post-paid users to increase home coverage at home.
Cell-pot WiFi router provided by T-Mobile USA to users
T-Mobile began to promote WiFi voice calls before commercial VoLTE, and then the operator took advantage of its existing WiFi IMS platform to provide VoLTE.
“T-Mobile is one of these network operators with a small amount of spectrum resources, so their lack of network coverage has a long history,†said Ian Maclean, global head of strategy and marketing at Mavenir. "They allow users' devices to access their core network via WiFi, a move that is an innovation and does solve some of their problems."
Peter Hovenir, CFO of Boingo, who is experimenting with T-Mobile, said the carrier is "shaking the market... so that other operators are also thinking more about the importance and strategic nature of WiFi."
This of course also attracted the attention of other operators. Sprint has launched WiFi voice calling services on Android smartphones, and Verizon and AT&T have announced that they will support WiFi voice calls to some extent in 2015.
"WiFi voice calls are coming. This is not something we object to, it's just a service we haven't provided yet," Verizon spokesperson Debi Lewis said.
Cable operators join the competition
Cablevision is not the only cable operator to join the WiFi voice call market. Michael Castakis, CFO of Comcast, said at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference last December that the cable operator is "taking the time to explicitly evaluate the WiFi first strategy," but "no news yet" . “Can WiFi really carry voice? Can it roam?†he asked.
Angelakis said that because Comcast has signed an MVNO agreement with Verizon and Sprint, the company can answer these questions. “This is a project we are spending some time on, but I don’t think there is much to report... but you have to admit that from a technical perspective, this trend is good for us.â€
Finegold of Scratch Wireless said that the technical perspective is officially the reason why Scratch Wireless is so excited. “The large cable operators (MSOs) are very curious. From our experience, they have expressed interest in exploring WiFi First,†he said.
However, some cable operators are cautious about 4G LTE attracting users from their data networks, and more painfully, they have also seized their video users.
"More and more video is being consumed on mobile devices, tablets and smartphones, and mobile operators are starting to trade content to bring content to mobile phones. Mobile operators are invading the field of cable operators, and Start to influence its core business," Finegold said.
Although the WiFi First strategy can enable cable operators to step into the mobile voice market, there is still a big drawback: WiFi is never mobile (service). Even Scratch Wireless, which built its own WiFi voice call brand, had to include mobile services as part of its service plan.
Finegold said: "Our model is that when a user makes a voice call over a WiFi network, it is free, but when the user switches to the mobile network, they need to make a payment. 91% of our voice calls are done via WiFi." Of course, the remaining 9% is connected to the mobile network when users need ubiquitous coverage.
Maclean said that for another reason, WiFi voice calls will retreat to the second line when they encounter VoLTE. Service providers have invested billions of dollars in spectrum and network upgrades to VoLTE, and they are unlikely to adopt another technology—at least not to the point where operators believe it should outperform traditional networks.
However, Maclean said that no mobile operators will ignore the benefits of using their IP networks to provide both VoLTE and WiFi voice services.
“Mobility is a bit of a headache. Operators are trying to provide ubiquitous connectivity for a variety of devices, but their mobile networks rely on spectrum, and this resource is limited. By leveraging WiFi, and making it Seamless, and providing seamless mobility, mobile devices can connect to the network via WiFi or LTE and switch between them," he concluded.
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